Tate murders

The Tate Murders were a notorious and brutal killing of five people by members of the Manson Family on August 8, 1969. Four members of the family invaded the home of Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles. They murdered Tate (who was eight months pregnant), along with three friends who were visiting at the time, and an 18 year old visitor, who was slain as he was departing the home.

The murders were carried out under the direction of Charles Manson. Manson, an aspiring musician, had previously attempted to enter into a recording contract with record producer Terry Melcher, who was a previous owner of the house. Melcher snubbed Manson which left him disgruntled. In retaliation, Manson ordered the attack thinking that Melcher still owned the house, which had been rented to Polanski.

Murders

On the night of August 8, 1969, Manson directed Tex Watson to take Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to "that house where Melcher used to live" and "totally destroy everyone in [it], as gruesome as you can." He told the women to do as Watson would instruct them. Krenwinkel was one of the early Family members and one of the hitchhikers who had allegedly been picked up by Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. The current occupants of the house at 10050 Cielo Drive, all of whom were strangers to the Manson followers, were movie actress and fashion model Sharon Tate, wife of film director Roman Polanski, who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time; her friend and former lover Jay Sebring, a noted hairstylist; Polanski's friend and aspiring screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski; and Frykowski's lover Abigail Folger, heiress to the Folger coffee fortune. Polanski was in London working on a film project; Tate had accompanied him, but returned home only three weeks earlier.